Chris Walker

This podcast was made possible in part by the Fund for Investigative Journalism. If you're enjoying Blood Vines, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. And please share it with your friends. It really helps more people find out about our show.

This podcast was made possible in part by the Fund for Investigative Journalism. If you're enjoying Blood Vines, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. And please share it with your friends. It really helps more people find out about our show.

Previously on Blood Vines.

Previously on Blood Vines.

Upon examining her father-in-law's body, Norma Licciardi, Michael's wife, had just discovered a terrible truth. Jack had been shot, and she was standing in the middle of a crime scene. Suddenly, everything about the room seemed significant. And police officers, who'd recently arrived at the home, realized that too. They ushered the family members out of the living room to preserve evidence.

Upon examining her father-in-law's body, Norma Licciardi, Michael's wife, had just discovered a terrible truth. Jack had been shot, and she was standing in the middle of a crime scene. Suddenly, everything about the room seemed significant. And police officers, who'd recently arrived at the home, realized that too. They ushered the family members out of the living room to preserve evidence.

But Norma's mind spun over what she'd seen. Suicide was an impossibility. Jack could barely hold a fork due to his muscular dystrophy. And no gun had been found at the scene, only an empty .22 caliber cartridge. Plus, there was a newspaper spread out on his chest and... Who sleeps like that, with a cigar in their hands? The body looked as though it had been staged.

But Norma's mind spun over what she'd seen. Suicide was an impossibility. Jack could barely hold a fork due to his muscular dystrophy. And no gun had been found at the scene, only an empty .22 caliber cartridge. Plus, there was a newspaper spread out on his chest and... Who sleeps like that, with a cigar in their hands? The body looked as though it had been staged.

Not to mention the fact that the bullet hole had been cleverly concealed in Jack's hairline and there was suspiciously little blood. Had someone cleaned up the crime scene to make it look like Jack had died of natural causes? Norma was, understandably, spooked, and she wasn't the only one. When she broke the news of the murder to Annette, Robert's second wife,

Not to mention the fact that the bullet hole had been cleverly concealed in Jack's hairline and there was suspiciously little blood. Had someone cleaned up the crime scene to make it look like Jack had died of natural causes? Norma was, understandably, spooked, and she wasn't the only one. When she broke the news of the murder to Annette, Robert's second wife,

As for Robert?

As for Robert?

he'd been the first to discover the body and possibly the last to see Jack alive. But when the Stockton police questioned him, Robert said he hadn't noticed anything unusual between the time he'd helped his father get ready for bed around midnight and when he'd found him dead around 10.30 a.m.

he'd been the first to discover the body and possibly the last to see Jack alive. But when the Stockton police questioned him, Robert said he hadn't noticed anything unusual between the time he'd helped his father get ready for bed around midnight and when he'd found him dead around 10.30 a.m.

And Jack's wife, Mary, wasn't of much help either since her Alzheimer's was so advanced that she was unable to even talk to the officers. So the question hung in the room.

And Jack's wife, Mary, wasn't of much help either since her Alzheimer's was so advanced that she was unable to even talk to the officers. So the question hung in the room.

And indeed, who could anyone trust? Because there was another aspect of the murder that no one could ignore, the timing. Jack had just agreed to testify in the grape fraud case and was in the process of scheduling his deposition. You may remember from episode one that when news of his death got out, the lead investigators on the case were shocked.

And indeed, who could anyone trust? Because there was another aspect of the murder that no one could ignore, the timing. Jack had just agreed to testify in the grape fraud case and was in the process of scheduling his deposition. You may remember from episode one that when news of his death got out, the lead investigators on the case were shocked.

Rumors swirled among the various criminal justice agencies.

Rumors swirled among the various criminal justice agencies.